There are no half measures with Jimmy Anderson, no middle ground of line-and-length, bore-'em-out mechanical bowling. On a bad day he goes round the park like few international bowlers of his pedigree can ever have done. But on a good one, when he steps out of bed on the right side and everything clicks into place, there are few more deadly swing bowlers in the game. Yesterday the force was with him as he sent New Zealand spiralling towards what even at this stage, and barring inclement weather, looks like a rapid defeat in the final Test.

The clouds rolled in during the afternoon, swing-bowling weather on a ground already offering swerve irrespective of the overhead conditions. Anderson, bounding in exuberantly, first from the Radcliffe Road end and then, after tea, with the Pavilion behind him, took advantage brilliantly. When the ball swings sharply and late it provides headaches for batsmen. But when it does so at speeds of up to 90mph, reaction, eyesight and technique are tested to the full.

Here New Zealand were found wanting, although such was the nature of his bowling that more esteemed batsmen than these would have struggled. Anderson took all six wickets to fall before bad light ended play shortly after five o'clock - two with the new ball and the remainder later with the inevitable replacement (almost a ritual now), finishing with six for 42 as New Zealand stumbled their way to 96 for six. Resistance came almost wholly from Jamie How, who made 40 before hanging out his bat abjectly to become Anderson's fifth victim, with some support from Ross Taylor (21). The remainder were simply not up to the task, putting the heroic first-day batting of Kevin Pietersen into context.

Earlier Anderson, in a more unfamiliar role as batsman, had managed the best part of two hours at the crease in the company of Stuart Broad, helping to add an unexpected but welcome 76 for the eighth wicket before he was caught behind, to his own disgust, for 28. Broad went on to make 64 before he was bowled by Chris Martin, a further enhancement of his CV although it is time he started to take some wickets.

England's 364 represented riches and a fine recovery from 86 for five after the middle order had tripped over its own feet once again. For New Zealand the prospect of following on, and probably an innings defeat should the ball continue its aerobatics, looms large. They need 69 more runs to avoid the follow-on which, given an overnight rest for their bowlers, England would almost certainly enforce.

This was the Anderson that first appeared on the scene, hooping the ball and running through a top-class Pakistan side one night in Cape Town. There were faults in his action back in 2003, most notably the drop in his head as he delivered, but he had done that throughout his formative years in Burnley and the ball came out with the seam perfectly positioned and at a decent lick.

Troy Cooley's attempts to alter things, for all his successes elsewhere, were disastrous for Anderson and represent a huge failure on the part of that bowling coach to recognise that progress can be made by leaving well alone. It has taken a serious back injury and several years to get Anderson back to the bowler he once was.

Key to his performance yesterday was the length he bowled. In swinging conditions the ball has to be allowed air time and sent down on a fuller length than normal, running the risk of sumptuous half-volleys to be driven. Line is crucial too and with the new ball he was spot on, firing down at middle-and-leg before whipping it away.

Aaron Redmond, who had the confidence that comes with a century made against Northamptonshire last weekend, naively tried to play away on the angle to midwicket and lost his off-stump for his pains, while Brendon McCullum, promoted to No3 now, tried something similar but even squarer only to find the same stump once more performing gymnastics. These are deliveries of a kind once sent down by Matthew Hoggard (who along with Steve Harmison was replaced by Broad and Anderson in Wellington only a couple of months ago). He could still do so, no doubt but crucially not at Anderson's pace. Things, Hoggard might ruefully concede, have moved on.

Anderson's opening burst brought no further success as How and Taylor, a belligerent batsman intent on taking the game back to the bowler, halted the slide with a stand of 48. After tea, though, Anderson marked his run from the other end and began a second eight-over spell that brought him a further four wickets for 17.

It began when Taylor, driving at a wide one, sliced it straight to Happyhands Pietersen standing deep at gully. Immediately the left-handed Daniel Flynn, roughed up by Anderson in the last match at Old Trafford, got a delivery that snaked back, jack-knifing him and leaving Darrell Hair with a simple lbw decision. When Oram fished outside his off-stump and edged to the keeper, Anderson had achieved his best figures in Tests.

His batting in the morning was a bonus, helped immensely by McCullum who, deprived of the gloves because of his stiff back, nonetheless has stood creakily at second slip. He put down a straightforward catch offered by Broad off Martin's bowling in the third over of the day, when the batsman had only 21.

Thereafter, with Anderson belying his reputation by offering a straight bat in defence and some useful sweeps in attack, Broad played a robust innings. On 49, and having lost Anderson, he became becalmed nervously for an agonising 25 balls. But the 26th was eased to the midwicket boundary.